The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1887-08-11
THE CONSTITUTION AMEND.
MENTS.

ments proposed to the State Consti-
tuition by the last Legislature. Un-
der the provisions OF tho fundamen-
tai law, amendments can be propos-
cd to the people only once in five
years; and when proposed by one
Legislature, thoy must be publicly
advertised weekly in each county for
three months preceding tho election
Then tho proposed amendments
must be again passed by both lTous.
es without modification, and again
advertised aud fuOily submitted to
u vote Of the people for acceptance
orrejection.
There arc two distinct amendments
now proposed to our Constitution,
upon which tho people will vote
separately If approved by the next
Legis lature. One Of them is tho
well-known Prohibition amendment,
forbiddiug the manufacture, sale or
keeping for sale Of Intoxicating liz
quors'us bcvorage,and it co mmands
the frat Legislature after its adop-
, ton to enact laws with adequate
penalties for It's enforcement The
! proposition docs not embrace any
provision for indemnity for property
which might be rendered valueess
by the adoption Of Prohibition
This was proposed in the Logislaturo,
Z both as part Of the Prohibition
amendment aud Rs separate amend
mout, but it was rejected. The
Prohibition amendment, therefore,
is simply naked prohibition of the
manufacture and sale of Intoxicating
liquors within tho State. There will
doubtless be an effort made in the
, next Legislature TO amend the pros
posed Prohibition amendment by d
provision for payment Of damages
for property destroyed by prohibi-
ton; but if 81 amended, or ifGmend,
= od in a single word. the amended
amendmept would thon 80 over for
another two years and could not be
finally voted on before 1891
The current of public sentiment
likely to influence the selection OF
tho next Legislature, will be for or
against the Prohibition amendment
as high license shall work well or il
in its experimental stages. If il
shall be formidably resisted or ser.
iously embarrassed by the friends oi
the liquor traffic, there will be de-
cided tendency toward Prohibition;
if it shall be accepted in good faith
and DO productive of good results,
. Prohibition will be much weaker
next year than it is now. There will
= De ample ti6e 10 discuss the ques
ton when it will be an issue face tc
. face with the people in tue selection
OF the next Legislature.
The other proposed amendment t
i the Coestitution is a systematic Of
o fort to degrade tho best Offices NnC
J prerosatiyes Of citizenship aud t.
6 choppen fraudulent oloctions. SSrip
I ped Of all surplusgNGo and boiiel
u down to plain Euglish, It proposes
9 that citizen may vote on out
o months residence in his precinct
o instead of two months as now; an,
u without the payment of any ta
Is whOtevor, instead Of the petty pol
II taX OF Twenty-Five cents year ro
IN Quirod by tho present Constitution
This amendment is the outgrowth G
the prostitutcd and generally fraud
: u!cnt system Of party committee
i paying taxes for citizens aud thu
y commanding their votes for the par
y ty ticket, regardless Of tho merit
u Of can d ia a t Q g; and When
is cOusiderod that one half or nor
Il of all the voters OF Philadelphia hay
10 compelled party committees to pro
II vide for their taxes, tho extent Of TIA
II decentralization and probable frau
70 may be approximated.
II The provision requiring tw
y months residence in q precinct
II become a voter was 0d opted as
u necessity to break up gigantic sy'
'S tenn Of fraud in the cities, and ther
= is no reason why il should be chang
% ed unless t. facilitate fraud an
:" the payment Of taxes by party CON
II miltees has been one Of the mos
ii fruitful sources Of tho pollution {
the ballot Instead Of copfessin
that suffrage is valuolcs9 to the cit
IS zen by separating it from all obligt
70 ton to support the government AZ
Or by shortening tho residence il Il
ly precinct, il would be vastly bett,